IBM, Samsung Sign Patent Deal

IBM and Samsung announce a patent cross-license agreement.

Two giants of the patent world have come together to do a patent deal-IBM
and Samsung.
IBM and Samsung Electronics announced a
patent cross-license agreement, under which the companies will license their respective
patent portfolios to each other.

Specific terms and conditions of the agreement, which was announced Feb. 8,
were not disclosed.

IBM and Samsung topped the list of the
world's most inventive companies in 2010 as the first and second recipients of
the most U.S.
patents, respectively. IBM has been the leading
recipient of U.S. patents for 18 consecutive years.
Over the past several decades, IBM and
Samsung have built strong patent portfolios covering a wide range of
technologies, including semiconductors, telecommunications, visual and mobile
communications, software, and technology-based services. This cross-licensing
agreement enables the two companies to innovate and operate freely while using
each other's patented inventions to help keep pace with sophisticated
technology and business demands. The companies said the cooperation fostered by
cross-licensing reinforces their ability to provide better products and
services, while maintaining their competitiveness.
"This licensing agreement will help both companies expedite innovation
and achieve business growth by providing each company access to the other's
patents for basic technologies," said Seungho Ahn, executive vice president
and head of the IP Center at Samsung Electronics, in a statement. "We also
hope the agreement will open new opportunities for wider collaboration between
two of the leading innovators in the technology industry."

"Patents and innovation are a critical component of IBM's
high-value business strategy," said Ken King, vice president of Patents,
Software & Services IP Licensing for IBM,
also in a statement. "In addition to protecting the huge investment we
make in R&D, patents also allow us to establish cross-licenses, which
provide IBM and partners like Samsung with
significant freedom of action, which is essential in the competitive global
business environment."

Darryl K. Taft covers the development tools and developer-related issues beat from his office in Baltimore. He has more than 10 years of experience in the business and is always looking for the next scoop. Taft is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and was named 'one of the most active middleware reporters in the world' by The Middleware Co. He also has his own card in the 'Who's Who in Enterprise Java' deck.